Female Military Leaders

Deborah was an Israeli prophetess and a judge of Israel who made her judgments underneath a date palm tree between Bethel in the Tribe of Ephraim and Ramah in Benjamin. According to the Bible, Deborah was the only female judge in pre-monarchic Israel.

Part of Irish folklore, Grace O'Malley was known as The Pirate Queen. Born into a seafaring family and was known for her unrelenting attitude toward the English. Known for her exploits in the Nine Years' War, she refused to bow down to Queen Elizabeth, as she herself was a queen.

Nanny of the Maroons was a Jamaican resistance fighter best remembered as the leader of the Jamaican Maroons. She led a community called Windward Maroons which fought a war against the British authorities in what came to be known as the First Maroon War. In 1975, she was declared Jamaica's only female national hero by the government of Jamaica. 

Lepa Radić was a Yugoslav Partisan best remembered for her involvement in the resistance movement opposing the Axis powers during World War II. In 1951, she was posthumously honored with the Order of the People's Hero for her role during the Second World War. Lepa Radić was executed at age 17 for firing at German troops.

Matilda of Tuscany, who was the countess of Tuscany and belonged to the House of Canossa. She is mostly remembered for her role in the clash between the Holy Roman Emperor and the papacy. She later became a mythical figure in Italy, with appearances in literary works, music, and art.

Fu Hao, or Lady Hao, the legendary figure of the Shang dynasty, was a high priestess and the only female military general of her time. Known for her successful battle against the Tu-Fang tribe, she was buried with valuables and 16 people who would be her servants in the afterlife.

Agustina de Aragon was a Spanish warrior best remembered for her valiant effort while defending Spain during the Peninsular War. Nicknamed the Spanish Joan of Arc, Agustina served in the Spanish Army. Regarded as a heroine in Spain, Agustina de Aragón has been the subject of several stories, folklore, and artwork. Her life inspired the 1929 film Agustina of Aragon.

Niloofar Rahmani is the first woman in Afghanistan’s history who became fixed-wing Air Force aviator. She is Afghan Air Force’s first female pilot since 2001 fall of Taliban. Despite receiving death threats, Rahmani completed her training which included training on C-130s with the US Air Force. She received International Women of Courage Award and was granted asylum in the US.

Zivia Lubetkin was a Holocaust survivor and leader of the Jewish resistance under Nazi rule in Warsaw. Lubetkin was one of the leaders of the Jewish Combat Organization, the only woman to hold a leadership position within the group. The Jewish Combat Organization played a key role in launching the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Ruby Bradley was a US Army Nurse Corps officer and one of the most celebrated women in the history of US military. She was a prisoner of war in Japan during the Second World War, for which she was honored with the Prisoner of War Medal. Ruby Bradley was also awarded many other medals, including the American Campaign Medal.

Ellen Church was an American nurse and flight attendant. She wanted to establish herself as a commercial pilot. Since airlines were not hiring women pilots at that time, Church convinced Boeing Air Transport that having nurses as flight-stewardesses would help bring in more passengers. Subsequently, in 1930, Ellen Church became the first female flight attendant.

Remembered as the first woman to become a navy admiral in the modern world, widowed Aceh warrior Keumalahayati led an army of widows named Inong Balee. She fought valiantly against the Dutch, leading to their surrender and a peace treaty. She died fighting a Portuguese fleet at Teuluk Krueng Raya.

Evangeline Booth is remembered as the first female general of the Salvation Army, founded by her parents, William Booth and Catherine Mumford. Her beauty and musical skills earned her the nickname White Angel of the Slums. Her efforts ranged from aiding unwed mothers and working women, to organizing fundraisers.

Albanian guerrilla fighter and the daughter of Grude leader Smajl Martini, Tringe Smajli is remembered for her valiant fight against the Ottomans of Malësia. She vowed to be a virgin for life and dressed up in men’s clothes. Her heroics have made her part of Albanian folklore.

Annie Fox was an American army officer best remembered for her service as the chief nurse in the United States Army Nurse Corps. She became the first woman to be honored with the Purple Heart as she was stationed at Hickam Field during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.